How Do I Improve Without Getting Reinjured?

After an injury, this runner wants to know how they can improve.

I got hooked on running when my son joined his high school’s XC team. Since then I went from walking one block then running half a block, and have lost about 24 pounds; I feel great except my recent Iliotibial band injury.

After four weeks of PT my IT band feels stronger, yet a stress still noticeable. I find it very hard to keep my pace during my runs as I am just trying to increase my base miles for now. How do you suggest I build back endurance and improve on my speed without risking becoming reinjured?—Anonymous

Welcome to running! It is fantastic that your son’s involvement with cross-country led you to run also. You have made good progress in the past two years with improving your fitness and losing weight.

Running injuries are every runner’s bane and IT Band injuries are a common one. In general, most running injuries are classified as “over-use” injuries, which means we inflict them upon ourselves by doing too much, too soon. The IT band is made of connective tissue and this matrix takes longer to “toughen” up to running than other soft tissue, like muscles. Connective tissue is not as vascular as muscle tissue and therefore adaptation to new demands, like running, takes more time. Your injury may have been a result of this difference in adaptation rate between muscles and connective tissue.

Another contributing factor to injuries, especially IT band injuries, can be the running surface. Whether road, trail, or sidewalk, how level is it? If there is a significant camber, this slant can contribute to injury by creating an uneven load on the joint and the surrounding soft tissue. Try to run on the most level surfaces you can find and mix up your running routes frequently to help avoid this problem. And, if you have not already done so, consider having an evaluation done of your running biomechanics and gait. This can provide important information, like determining the correct running shoes for you, and prevent future injuries as well. Keep track of your mileage and replace your running shoes when needed; this will minimize injury risk too. It will be important for you to pay attention to your IT band and continue with PT exercises, stretching, and ice for some time to come as a pro-active measure.

Keeping a training log is an excellent way for you to track your training and assess it objectively. When laying base miles, it is very important for you to keep a steady pace, especially when returning to running after an injury. Resist the urge to jump back into your running where you left off. Base mileage provides the foundation for everything you want to accomplish, and, much like the foundation of your house, you want it done right. Pay attention to your pace and rein it in until you have laid a solid foundation.

Base mileage pace means conversational intensity or approximately 60 to 75% of your maximum heart rate. When you find yourself speeding up, slow it down! You may even need to take a walk break to re-set your speedometer. “Zoning out” is a great feeling, but for now, remain acutely aware of your pace. Give yourself a full 12 weeks to lay down a base. After 8 weeks of consistent running at base pace, you can add ONE 20 minute tempo run during the week. Tempo run pace during this phase means 30 seconds per mile faster than your base pace, so not a lot faster, but this will help transition you to speed work when you complete your base mileage phase.

After 12 weeks of base, begin adding in some speed work once a week. After a good warm up, pick up the pace for short periods of time and ease back down. Begin with one minute at tempo pace; and then back to base pace for three minutes, and repeat. Start with a 30-minute run and gradually increase this time in four-minute increments each week barring any aches or pains.After 8 to 12 weeks of this speed work, try the track and see how it feels. Always do a thorough warm up before track work, plan on running easy for one to two miles. When you complete a speed workout, do a cool down consisting of running easy for one-half to one mile. Here are two good track workouts for improving your speed:

1) Two sets of 6 x 400. Jog a 200 after each interval for a short recovery and then move right into the next 400 interval until you complete the first set of six. Take four minutes for a more complete recovery after the first set, then begin the second set. Keep the times for these intervals consistent. Aim for no more than a five second variance in all the intervals. This will help train you to run faster and hold this faster pace.

2) 5 x 1000. Jog a 200 after each interval for a short recovery. Again, keep these interval times consistent, with no more than a 5 second variance between them.For pace on the track, start with your 5k time to base these intervals on and see how you feel after that. If all is well, crank it down a bit below your 5k pace IF you can maintain that pace. This will be evident if you are able to keep all the intervals close to the same time.

Running three or four times a week is an excellent plan for many runners because it allows for recovery time between workouts. Know the intention and the pace for each of your training runs when you head out the door. In general, include one speed work out, one strength work out (you can alternate tempo and hill runs), one endurance run or long run, (“long” being relative to the distance you are training for) and one recovery run each week.

Cross-training can be very helpful too. Consider adding two days a week of some form of aerobic exercise other than running. Swimming is an excellent choice for runners because it is non-weight bearing, recruits different muscles than running, and emphasizes the upper body. Spinning or rowing are also good cross-training choices. In addition, adding some strength and flexibility training to your routine is also recommended, even if it’s only 1 day a week. This can be in the form of weight training or an exercise class like Yoga, Pilates, or an abs class.

Best Wishes!

Susan Paul, MS

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Susan Paul has coached more than 2,000 runners and is an exercise physiologist and program director for the Orlando Track Shack Foundation. For more information, visit www.trackshack.com. Have a question for our beginners experts? E-mail it to [email protected]. NOTE: Due to the volume of mail, we regret that we cannot answer every e-mail.